‘Lord’s win will give push to Amir’s career’

London, July 18

Shah scales No. 1 spot in ICC rankings

Wrist spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number spot in the ICC Test rankings, becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed achieved the feat in December 1996. He reached the No. 1 spot after bowling Pakistan to a 75-run victory over England in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday.

Yasir, who returned with figures of 6/72 and 4/69, has leapfrogged India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England's fast bowling pair of James Anderson (who missed the Test due to an injury) and Stuart Broad into the top spot after his achievement earned him 32 points. Yasir won the Man of the Match award in his first Test outside Asia and now leads Ashwin by seven points and Anderson by 10 points.

Cook blames batsmen for defeat to Pakistan 

England skipper Alastair Cook blamed his team's batsmen for their 75-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan. “Chasing 280, you need someone to play out of their skin, get a hundred. We allowed Yasir to get six wickets when he wasn't turning the ball. It cost us,” said Cook. — Agencies